The Billionaire Book List

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Reading alone hasn't made anyone rich, famous, or powerful… but if you're curious about what books helped highly-successful people along the way, then this is exactly the list for you.

This is a list of respected billionaires, books written by them, noteworthy books written about them, books they've recommended, and books that have inspired them.

In this list:

  1. John D. Rockefeller
  2. Andrew Carnegie
  3. Cornelius Vanderbilt
  4. Jeff Bezos
  5. Bill Gates
  6. Warren Buffet
  7. Henry Ford
  8. Sam Walton
  9. Jack Ma
  10. Phil Knight
  11. Elon Musk
  12. Steve Jobs
  13. Richard Branson
  14. Mark Cuban
  15. Oprah Winfrey

Note: This is a live list. I will continue to update it as I find more billionaires and/or books referenced by them.

Would you like to contribute to the list?

John D. Rockefeller

Lived 1839–1937.

Estimated net worth: $379.8 billion (Forbes — this estimate is based on John D. Rockefeller's peak wealth compared to U.S. G.D.P. at the time he had his peak wealth, and was converted to 2018 dollars.)

Well known for founding the Standard Oil Company and by certain metrics, being the richest known man in modern history.

                                           Books written by John D. Rockefeller            Title        Description                Random Reminiscences of Men and Events        John D. Rockefeller's Autobiography.        Noteworthy books written about John D. Rockefeller            Title        Author        Description                John D. Rockefeller: The FBI Files        -        This book consists of a collection of declassified files that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation holds on John. D Rockefeller.                John D. Rockefeller on Making Money        -        This book consists of a collection of quotes, letters, and other works by John. D Rockefeller.        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by John D. Rockefeller            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                So far, I haven't found any books that John. D Rockefeller recommends or is inspired by.
Would you like to suggest one?

Andrew Carnegie

Lived 1835–1919.

Estimated net worth: $349.9 billion (Forbes — this estimate is based on Andrew Carnegie's peak wealth compared to U.S. G.D.P. at the time he had his peak wealth, and was converted to 2018 dollars.)

Well known for leading the expansion of the steel industry in the U.S.

Through his philanthropic efforts, Carnegie funded the creation of 2,509 libraries worldwide, so-called "Carnegie libraries".

                                           Books written by Andrew Carnegie            Title        Description                Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie        Andrew Carnegie's autobiography.                Problems of to-day: wealth, labor, socialismA league of peaceRound the worldThe Empire of BusinessAn American four-in-hand in BritainTriumphant DemocracyJames WattThe ABC of MoneyThe Gospel of Wealth                Noteworthy books written about Andrew Carnegie            Title        Author        Description                I have not found any noteworthy books written about Andrew Carnegie yet.
Would you like to suggest one?        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Andrew Carnegie            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                Think and Grow Rich        Napoleon Hill        This book is the result of a collaboration between Napoleon Hill and Andrew Carnegie. In the preface to the book, Napoleon Hill writes: "It was Mr. Carnegie's idea that the magic formula, which gave him a stupendous fortune, ought to be placed within reach of people who do not have time to investigate how men make money."    

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Lived 1794–1877.

Estimated net worth: $209.5 billion (Forbes — this estimate is based on Cornelius Vanderbilt's peak wealth compared to U.S. G.D.P. at the time he had his peak wealth, and was converted to 2018 dollars.)

Well known for expanding the U.S. railroad industry.

                                           Books written by Cornelius Vanderbilt            Title        Description                Cornelius Vanderbilt hasn't written any books.        Noteworthy books written about Cornelius Vanderbilt            Title        Author        Description                The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt        T.J. Stiles        Critically acclaimed biography of Cornelius Vanderbilt.        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Cornelius Vanderbilt            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                So far, I haven't found any books that Cornelius Vanderbilt recommends or is inspired by.
Would you like to suggest one?

Jeff Bezos

Born 1964.

Estimated net worth: $135.2 billion (2018 — Forbes).

Well known for founding Amazon.com.

                                           Books written by Jeff Bezos            Title        Description                Jeff Bezos hasn't written any books.        Noteworthy books written about Jeff Bezos            Title        Author        Description                The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon        Brad Stone        Critically acclaimed book about Amazon.com and Jeff Bezos.        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Jeff Bezos            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                The Remains of the Day        Kazuo Ishiguro        The Everything Store by Brad Stone        From The Everything Store by Brad Stone:
"Books have nurtured Amazon since its creation and shaped its culture and strategy. Here are a dozen books widely read by executives and employees that are integral to understanding the company."                Sam Walton: Made in America        Sam Walton                                Memos from the Chairman        Alan C. Greenberg                                The Mythical Man-Month        Fred Brooks                                Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies        James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras                                Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't        James C. Collins                                Creation: Life and how to Make it        Steve Grand                                The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business        Clayton M. Christensen                                The Goal        Eliyahu M. Goldratt                                Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation        Daniel T. Jones and James P. Womack                                Data-Driven Marketing: The 15 Metrics Everyone in Marketing Should Know        Mark Jeffery                                The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable        Nassim Nicholas Taleb                    

Bill Gates

Born 1955.

Estimated net worth: $96 billion (2018 — Forbes).

Well known for founding Microsoft.

                                           Books written by Bill Gates            Title        Description                The Road Ahead        Bill Gates co-authored this book with Nathan Myhrvold and Peter Rinearson. In the book (first published in 1995), the authors cover what implications personal computing had on the world and what is to come with the advent and growth of the internet.                Business @ the Speed of Thought: Using a Digital Nervous System        Bill Gates co-authored this book with Collins Hemingway in 1999. The book covers how make business and technology work together in the best way possible.        Noteworthy books written about Bill Gates            Title        Author        Description                I have not found any noteworthy books written about Bill Gates yet.
Would you like to suggest one?        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Bill Gates            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                The Better Angels of Our Nature        Stephen Pinker        2017 interview with TIME
Bill Gates' Best Books List, Winter 2012
Book recommendations for TED attendees, 2014        "…stands out as one of the most important books I've read—not just this year, but ever. … It offers a really fresh perspective on how to achieve positive outcomes in the world."                Business Adventures        John Brooks        Gates Notes
Bill Gates' Best Books List, Winter 2014
Book recommendations for TED attendees, 2015        "More than four decades after it was first published, Business Adventures remains the best business book I've ever read … Brooks' deeper insights about business are just as relevant today as they were back then."                The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism        Doris Kearns Goodwin        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2014
Book recommendations for TED attendees, 2015        "I'm especially interested in the central question that Doris Kearns Goodwin raises in The Bully Pulpit: How does social change happen? Can it be driven by a single inspirational leader, or do other factors have to lay the groundwork first?"                On Immunity: An Inoculation        Eula Biss        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2015
Book recommendations for TED attendees, 2015        "I had no idea what a pleasure reading it would be. Biss, an essayist and university lecturer, examines what lies behind people's fears of vaccinating their children. … This is a thoughtful and beautifully written book about a very important topic."                How to Lie with Statistics        Darrell Huff                "I picked up this short, easy-to-read book after seeing it on a Wall Street Journal list of good books for investors. I enjoyed it so much that it was one of a handful of books I recommended to everyone at TED this year."                Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization        Vaclav Smil        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Winter 2014
Book recommendations for TED attendees, 2015        "With his usual skepticism and his love of data, Smil shows how our ability to make things with less material—say, soda cans that need less aluminum—makes them cheaper, which actually encourages more production. We're using more stuff than ever. "                How Asia Works: Success and Failure in the World's Most Dynamic Region        Joe Studwell                "Studwell produces compelling answers to two of the greatest questions in development economics: How did countries like Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and China achieve sustained, high growth? And why have so few other countries managed to do so? … The agriculture section of the book was particularly insightful … it left us thinking about whether parts of the Asian model can apply in Africa."                Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think        Hans Rosling        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2018
2018 CNBC interview with Becky Quick        "I've been recommending this book since the day it came out. … It's a fitting final word from a brilliant man, and one of the best books I've ever read."
"It's very readable … talks about how the world has changed … talks to you about how to think about news and where we're going [as a society] … brilliant."                Enlightenment Now        Steven Pinker        2018 CNBC interview with Becky Quick        "Talks about the progress we've made, and how we [human society] can learn from the places we made even faster progress … [it's] really fantastic."                The Rosie Project        Graeme Simsion        2017 interview with TIME
Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2014        "It's an extraordinarily clever, funny, and moving book about being comfortable with who you are and what you're good at."                Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity        Katherine Boo        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Winter 2012
Book recommendations for TED attendees, 2014        "I've visited a lot of urban slums and it's always difficult to describe to people back home just how bleak they can be. If you want to read an unvarnished, first-hand account of life in one of India's slums you should pick up Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity."                Getting Better: Why Global Development Is Succeeding--And How We Can Improve the World Even More        Charles Kenny        Book recommendations for TED attendees, 2014        "Charles Kenny’s elegant book on the impact of aid carefully documents how the quality of life—even in the world’s poorest countries—has improved dramatically over the past several decades."                The Man Who Fed the World: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug and His Battle to End World Hunger        Leon Hesser                "Norm Borlaug is one of my heroes—and Leon Hesser’s biography is a fascinating account of Borlaug’s life and accomplishments. This is a story of genius, self-sacrifice, and determination."                Energy Myths and Realities: Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate        Vaclav Smil                "Vaclav Smil is probably my favorite living author. If you care about energy issues, I recommend this volume, though its unvarnished look at the realities of energy use and infrastructure may be disconcerting to anyone who thinks solving our energy problems will be easy."                Leonardo Da Vinci        Walter Isaacson        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2018        "I think Leonardo was one of the most fascinating people ever. … Isaacson does the best job I've seen of pulling together the different strands of Leonardo's life and explaining what made him so exceptional."                Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved        Kate Bowler                "A heartbreaking, surprisingly funny memoir about faith and coming to grips with your own mortality."                Lincoln in the Bardo        George Saunders                "I thought I knew everything I needed to know about Abraham Lincoln, but this novel made me rethink parts of his life."                Origin Story: A Big History of Everything        David Christian                "The book will leave you with a greater appreciation of humanity's place in the universe."                The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir        Thi Bui        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Winter 2017        "This gorgeous graphic novel is a deeply personal memoir that explores what it means to be a parent and a refugee."                Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City        Matthew Desmond                "If you want a good understanding of how the issues that cause poverty are intertwined, you should read this book about the eviction crisis in Milwaukee."                Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens        Eddie Izzard and Laura Zigman                "Izzard's personal story is fascinating: he survived a difficult childhood and worked relentlessly to overcome his lack of natural talent and become an international star. If you're a huge fan of him like I am, you'll love this book."                The Sympathizer        Viet Thanh Nguyen                "Most of the books I've read and movies I've seen about the Vietnam War focused on the American perspective. Nguyen's award-winning novel offers much-needed insight into what it was like to be Vietnamese and caught between both sides."                Energy and Civilization: A History        Vaclav Smil                "Smil is one of my favorite authors, and this is his masterpiece. He lays out how our need for energy has shaped human history—from the era of donkey-powered mills to today's quest for renewable energy."                Born a Crime        Trevor Noah        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2017        "As a longtime fan of The Daily Show, I loved reading this memoir about how its host honed his outsider approach to comedy over a lifetime of never quite fitting in. … as anyone who watches his nightly monologues knows, his moving stories will often leave you laughing."                The Heart        Maylis de Kerangal                "The book uses beautiful language to connect you deeply with people who may be in the story for only a few minutes. … I'm glad Melinda recommended this book to me, and I recently passed it along to a friend who, like me, sticks mostly with nonfiction. "                Hillbilly Elegy        J. D. Vance                "While the book offers insights into some of the complex cultural and family issues behind poverty, the real magic lies in the story itself and Vance's bravery in telling it."                Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow        Yuval Noah Harari                "I recommended Harari's previous book Sapiens in last summer's reading list, and this provocative follow-up is just as challenging, readable, and thought-provoking."                A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety        Jimmy Carter                "I loved reading about Carter's improbable rise to the world's highest office. The book will help you understand how growing up in rural Georgia in a house without running water, electricity, or insulation shaped—for better and for worse—his time in the White House."                String Theory        David Foster Wallace        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Winter 2016        "I would say to anyone who likes tennis as much as I do, you have to read String Theory. You'll take away insights that go way beyond what you get by reading the typical article in a tennis magazine or listening to a color commentator on TV."                Shoe Dog        Phil Knight                "This memoir, by the co-founder of Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like: messy, precarious, and riddled with mistakes."                The Gene: An Intimate History        Siddhartha Mukherjee                "Mukherjee guides us through the past, present, and future of genome science, with a special focus on huge ethical questions that the latest and greatest genome technologies provoke. Mukherjee wrote this book for a lay audience, because he knows that the new genome technologies are at the cusp of affecting us all in profound ways."                The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age        Archie Brown                "Brown shows that the leaders who make the biggest contributions to history and humanity generally are not the ones we perceive to be 'strong leaders.' Instead, they tend to be the ones who collaborate, delegate, and negotiate—and recognize that no one person can or should have all the answers. "                The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future        Gretchen Bakke                "This book, about our aging electrical grid, fits in one of my favorite genres: 'Books About Mundane Stuff That Are Actually Fascinating.'"                Seveneves        Neal Stephenson        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2016        "I hadn't read any science fiction for a decade when a friend recommended this novel. I'm glad she did."                How Not to Be Wrong        Jordan Ellenberg                "Ellenberg, a mathematician and writer, explains how math plays into our daily lives without our even knowing it."                The Vital Question        Nick Lane                "Nick is one of those original thinkers who makes you say: More people should know about this guy's work. He is trying to right a scientific wrong by getting people to fully appreciate the role that energy plays in all living things."                The Power to Compete: An Economist and an Entrepreneur on Revitalizing Japan in the Global Economy        Hiroshi Mikitani and Ryoichi Mikitani                "The Power to Compete is a smart look at the future of a fascinating country [Japan]."Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind        Yuval Noah Harari                "Although I found things to disagree with—especially Harari's claim that humans were better off before we started farming—I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who's interested in the history and future of our species."                The Road to Character        David Brooks        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Winter 2015        "He [the author] argues that American society does a good job of cultivating the "résumé virtues" (the traits that lead to external success) but not our "eulogy virtues" (the traits that lead to internal peace of mind). … Even if the distinction between the two types of virtues is not always crystal clear, The Road to Character gave me a lot to think about. It is a thought-provoking look at what it means to live life well."                Thing Explainer        Randall Munroe                "The book is filled with helpful explanations and drawings of everything from a dishwasher to a nuclear power plant. And Munroe's jokes are laugh-out-loud funny. This is a wonderful guide for curious minds."                Being Nixon: A Man Divided        Evan Thomas                "Former U.S. president Richard Nixon is often portrayed as little more than a crook and a war monger. So it was refreshing to see a more balanced account in Being Nixon"                Sustainable Materials with Both Eyes Open        Jonathan Cullen, Julian M. Allwood, and Mark A. Carruth                "Although the topic can be dry as a desert, the authors keep it light with lots of colorful illustrations and clever analogies without sacrificing clarity or rigor. I learned a lot from this thoughtful look at a critical topic."                Eradication: Ridding the World of Diseases Forever?        Nancy Leys Stepan                "She [the author] writes in a fairly academic style that may make it hard for non-experts to get to her valuable arguments, but it's worth the effort. You come away from it with a clearer sense of how we can use the lessons of the past to guide future efforts to save lives."                Mindset: The New Psychology of Success        Carol Dweck                "Through clever research studies and engaging writing, Dweck illuminates how our beliefs about our capabilities exert tremendous influence on how we learn and which paths we take in life. The value of this book extends way beyond the world of education. It's just as relevant for businesspeople who want to cultivate talent and for parents who want to raise their kids to thrive on challenge."                Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things that Happened        Allie Brosh        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2015        "You will rip through it in three hours, tops. But you'll wish it went on longer, because it's funny and smart as hell. I must have interrupted Melinda a dozen times to read to her passages that made me laugh out loud."                The Magic of Reality        Richard Dawkins                "It's an engaging, well-illustrated science textbook offering compelling answers to big questions, like 'how did the universe form?' and 'what causes earthquakes?' It's also a plea for readers of all ages to approach mysteries with rigor and curiosity."                What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions        Randall Munroe                "Munroe's explanations are funny, but the science underpinning his answers is very accurate. It's an entertaining read, and you'll also learn a bit about things like ballistics, DNA, the oceans, the atmosphere, and lightning along the way."                XKCD        Randall Munroe                "A collection of posts from Munroe's blog XKCD, which is made up of cartoons he draws making fun of things—mostly scientists and computers, but lots of other things too. … It's that kind of humor, which not everybody loves, but I do."                Should We Eat Meat?: Evolution and Consequences of Modern Carnivory        Vaclav Smil                "I can't think of anyone better equipped to present a clear-eyed analysis of this subject [meat consumption] than Vaclav Smil. I have written several times before about how much I admire Smil's work. When he tackles a subject, he doesn't look at just one piece of it. He examines every angle. Even if I don't agree with all of his conclusions, I always learn a lot from reading him."                Capital in the Twenty-First Century        Thomas Piketty        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Winter 2014        "As I told him [the author], although I have concerns about some of his secondary points and policy prescriptions, I agree with his most important conclusions: inequality is a growing problem and that governments should play a role in reducing it."                The Rosie Effect        Graeme Simsion                "The hilarious follow-up to The Rosie Project, one of the best novels I've read in ages. … A sweet, entertaining, and thought-provoking book."                Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises        Timothy Geithner        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2014        "When I ran Microsoft, I sometimes thought I had a tough job, especially when trying to manage the company and deal with a federal anti-trust trial at the same time. But I came away from this book thinking my job was pretty easy compared with what Geithner signed up for. Unless you're a soldier on active combat duty, you're likely to think the same thing."                Team of Rivals        Doris Kearns Goodwin                "I loved Goodwin's Team of Rivals."                The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History        Elizabeth Kolbert                "Unlike a lot of people who write about the environment, Kolbert doesn't resort to hype. She just lays out the facts and wraps them in memorable anecdotes. It's a sobering but engaging and informative read."                Reinventing American Health Care: How the Affordable Care Act will Improve our Terribly Complex, Blatantly Unjust, Outrageously Expensive, Grossly Inefficient, Error Prone System        Ezekiel J. Emanuel                "The facts and history that Emanuel lays out would be useful to anyone involved in the debate over health care, no matter what their point of view is."                The Catcher in the Rye        J. D. Salinger        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Winter 2013        "I've read The Catcher in the Rye a bunch of times—it's one of my favorite books ever."                The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger        Marc Levinson                "He [the author] turns it [shipping containers] into a very readable narrative. I won't look at a cargo ship in quite the same way again."                The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention        William Rosen                "A bit like The Box, except it's about steam engines."                Harvesting the Biosphere: What We Have Taken from Nature        Vaclav Smil                "There is no author whose books I look forward to more than Vaclav Smil. Here he gives as clear and as numeric a picture as is possible of how humans have altered the biosphere. The book is a bit dry and I had to look up a number of terms that were unfamiliar to me, but it tells a critical story if you care about the impact we're having on the planet."                Guns, Germs, and Steel        Jared Diamond                "If you're only going to read one Jared Diamond book, make it Guns, Germs, and Steel."                The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?        Jared Diamond                "Diamond finds fascinating anecdotes about what life is like for hunter-gatherers and asks which ones might apply to our modern lifestyles."                Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about It        Morten Jerven                "Jerven, an economist, spent four years digging into how African nations get their statistics and the challenges they face in turning them into GDP estimates. He makes a strong case that a lot of GDP measurements we thought were accurate are far from it."                Why Does College Cost So Much?        David H Feldman and Robert B. Archibald                "The title is a question that seems to get more attention every year. The authors are good about not pointing fingers but instead talking about how America's labor market affects the cost of college. … This book is a useful introduction to a complex problem."                The Bet: Paul Ehrlich, Julian Simon, and Our Gamble Over Earth's Future        Paul Sabin                "The Bet: Paul Ehrlich, Julian Simon, and Our Gamble over Earth's Future provides surprising insights for anyone involved in addressing the world's 'wicked problems.' Most of all, it gave me new perspective on why so many big challenges get bogged down in political battles rather than being focused on problem-solving."                Whistling Vivaldi: And Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us (Issues of Our Time)        Claude Steele        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2013        "It helped me understand why even some very intelligent people don't do as well as you might expect when they get to college. It also breaks down a lot of myths, like the idea that minorities will prosper if we can just do away with discrimination in hiring. Discrimination has a lot of layers that make it tough for minorities to get a leg up. And Steele offers a few ideas about how to tackle the problem. It's a very good read."                Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China        Ezra F. Vogel        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Winter 2012        "China's reforms coupled with the tenacity and hard work of its people has improved hundreds of millions of people's lives in less than a generation. That is more human lives climbing out of poverty post World War II than any other country. … [in his book] Vogel, an emeritus professor at Harvard University, demonstrates a deep understanding of China's complex culture."                The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World        Daniel Yergin                "I found Yergin's account of the history of oil exploration to be useful because it helps bring perspective to discussions of whether we're in danger of running out of oil, whether production is likely to peak soon."
"For anyone interested in the dynamics shaping our energy future and all of the innovation around energy, it's a fantastic book"                Moonwalking with Einstein        Joshua Foer                "I never thought much about whether I could improve my memory across a wider set of domains, but now I think I could, after reading Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, by a young science writer, Joshua Foer. It's absolutely phenomenal, one of the most interesting books I've read this summer [the summer of 2012]."                One Billion Hungry: Can We Feed the World?        Gordon Conway                "An important new book."
"For people who want to learn about the connection between agriculture and world hunger, this book may be the best broad overview of how our modern food production system is tied to agricultural practices. It's also very readable."                A World-Class Education: Learning from International Models of Excellence and Innovation        Vivien Stewart                "Vivien Stewart in her book, A World Class Education, looks at five countries—Singapore, Canada, Finland, China, and Australia—where students are doing significantly better on global assessments than students in the U.S. Despite differences in the political systems and cultural contexts of these countries, there are some common policies and practices that drive success. Understanding how other countries are succeeding can offer insights that help us do a better job here in the U.S."                Academically Adrift        Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa                "Raises some fundamental and surprising questions about the quality of U.S. undergraduate education."                This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly        Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff                No specific reason given. Bill Gates just liked the book and felt its publisher summarized it well.                The City That Became Safe: New York's Lessons for Urban Crime and Its Control        Franklin Zimring                No specific reason given. Bill Gates just liked the book and felt its publisher summarized it well.                The Cost of Hope        Amanda Bennett        Bill Gates' Best Books List, Summer 2012        "Amanda's story is personal, filled with moments of anguish, grief and love but she also tries to draw attention to what she discovers is a flawed health care system. It is a perfect example about why all of the hard decisions about health care spending are just that."
"An executive editor at Bloomberg News and a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Bennett is an ultra-thorough researcher."                The Limits to Growth        Dennis Meadows, Donella Meadows, Jørgen Randers, and William W. Behrens III                "The 1972 findings of these three MIT scientists was a pretty unsettling look at the risk of 'overshoot'—overconsumption of the planet's available resources. This update offers some encouragement."                Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think        Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler                "I could relate to a lot in this book. The authors argue that we'll be able to meet and exceed the needs of every person in the world, through technology, innovation, and philanthropy."                Team of Rivals        Doris Kearns Goodwin        Gates Notes        "I loved Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals, about President Lincoln."    

Warren Buffett

Born 1930.

Estimated net worth: $89.7 billion (2018 — Forbes).

Well known for his leadership in Berkshire Hathaway, a company that consistently ranks in the top 5 of the Forbes Global 2000.

Warren Buffett tends to recommend books that are no-nonsense, non-fiction, and that teach investing.

See also:

                                           Books written by Warren Buffett            Title        Description                Warren Buffett hasn't written any books.        Noteworthy books written about Warren Buffett            Title        Author        Description                The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life        Alice Schroeder        Authorized biography.                Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders        -        This book is a compilation of all the letters that Warren Buffett wrote to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway from 1965 to 2014.                Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966–2013        Carol J. Loomis        This is a critically acclaimed book that was complied and expanded upon by a writer from Fortune Magazine that covered the life and work of Warren Buffet for many years, as well as edited his Chairman's Letters since 1977[1]. It includes original works from and is recommended by Warren Buffet himself.                Warren Buffett's Interview With the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC)        -                Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Warren Buffett            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                The Intelligent Investor        Benjamin Graham        2003 Chairman's Letter
1984 Chairman's Letter
2013 Chairman's Letter
2011 Chairman's Letter        "My favorite book on investing."
"By far the best book on investing ever written."
"My financial life changed with that purchase [of The Intelligent Investor]."
" Of all the investments I evermade, buying Ben's book was the best (except for my purchase of two marriage licenses)."
"Picking up that book was one of the luckiest moments in my life."                Security Analysis (2nd edition)        Benjamin Graham and David Dodd        2012 Chairman's Letter        "a book [Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits] that ranks behind only The Intelligent Investor and the 1940 edition of Security Analysis in the all-time-best list for the serious investor."                Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits        Philip Fisher                                Poor Charlie's Almanack        Charlie Munger        This book was originally written by Charlie Munger — the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway — and and is consistently recommended by Warren in his annual letters, shareholder's meetings, etc.                Where are the Customers' Yachts? Or, A Good Hard Look at Wall Street        Fred Schwed        2006 Chairman's Letter
2014 Chairman's Letter        "The funniest book ever written about investing, it lightly delivers many truly important messages on the subject."
"If you haven't read Schwed's book, buy a copy … Its wisdom and humor are truly priceless."                Enlightenment Now        Steven Pinker        2018 CNBC interview with Becky Quick        Warren especially recommends chapter 4: "There's some very interesting reasons to be optimistic about the world in that chapter.                Shoe Dog        Phil Knight        2016 Chairman's Letter        "The best book I read last year [2015] was Shoe Dog, by Nike's Phil Knight. Phil is a very wise, intelligent and competitive fellow who is also a gifted storyteller."                The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns        John C. Bogle        2014 Chairman's Letter        "Most advisors, however, are far better at generating high fees than they are at generating high returns … Rather than listen to their siren songs, investors – large and small – should instead read Jack Bogle's The Little Book of Common Sense Investing."                40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World        Howard Graham Buffett        2013 Chairman's Letter        "You'll enjoy it."                The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success        William N. Thorndike        2012 Chairman's Letter        "The Outsiders, by William Thorndike, Jr., is an outstanding book about CEOs who excelled at capital allocation. It has an insightful chapter on our director, Tom Murphy, overall the best business manager I've ever met. I also recommend The Clash of the Cultures by Jack Bogle and Laura Rittenhouse's Investing Between the Lines."                The Clash of the Cultures: Investment Vs. Speculation        John C. Bogle                Investing Between the Lines: How to Make Smarter Decisions By Decoding CEO Communications        L. J. Rittenhouse                MiTek        ?        2011 Chairman's Letter        "I recommend MiTek, an informative history of one of our very successful subsidiaries."                A Few Lessons for Investors and Managers        Peter Bevelin                "It sums up what Charlie and I have been saying over the years in annual reports and at annual meetings."                Fragile: The Human Condition        Howard Graham Buffett        2009 Chairman's Letter        "… two new books by my sons: Howard's Fragile, a volume filled with photos and commentary about lives of struggle around the globe and Peter's Life Is What You Make It. Completing the family trilogy will be the debut of my sister Doris's biography, a story focusing on her remarkable philanthropic activities."                Life Is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment        Peter Buffett                                Giving it All Away: The Doris Buffett Story        Michael Zitz                                Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger        Peter Bevelin        2006 Chairman's Letter        -                Bull! A History of the Boom, 1982-2004        Maggie Mahar        2003 Chairman's Letter        "A 2003 book that investors can learn much from is Bull! by Maggie Mahar. Two other books I'd recommend are The Smartest Guys in the Room by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, and In an Uncertain World by Bob Rubin. All three are well-reported and well-written."                The Smartest Guys in the Room        Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind                In an Uncertain World: Tough Choices from Wall Street to Washington        Robert Rubin                Jack: Straight From the Gut        Jack Welch        2001 Chairman's Letter        "terrific book"                The Science of Hitting        John Underwood and Ted Williams        1997 Chairman's Letter        Warren draws similarties between  "If they are in the strike zone at all, the business "pitches" we now see are just catching the lower outside corner. If we swing, we will be locked into low returns. But if we let all of today's balls go by, there can be no assurance that the next ones we see will be more to our liking."                How to Run a Grocery Store and a Few Things I Have Learned About Fishing1985 Chairman's Letter        "My grandfather was sure that interest in these two subjects was universal and that the world awaited his views.  You may conclude from this section's title and contents that I was overexposed to Grandpa's literary style (and personality)."    

Henry Ford

Lived 1863–1947.

Estimated net worth: $67.6 billion (Forbes — this estimate is based on Henry Ford's peak wealth compared to U.S. G.D.P. at the time he had his peak wealth, and was converted to 2018 dollars.)

Well known for founding the Ford Motor Company.

                                           Books written by Henry Ford            Title        Description                My Life and Work        Henry Ford's autobiography.                Today and TomorrowEdison As I Know HimThe International Jew - the World's Foremost ProblemThe Case Against the Little White SlaverMoving Forward                Noteworthy books written about Henry Ford            Title        Author        Description                My Philosophy of Industry: an authorized interview        Fay Leone Faurote                Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Henry Ford            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                So far, I haven't found any books that Henry Ford recommends or is inspired by.
Would you like to suggest one?

Sam Walton

Lived 1918–1992.

Estimated net worth: $58.6 billion (Forbes — this estimate is based on Sam Walton's peak wealth compared to U.S. G.D.P. at the time he had his peak wealth, and was converted to 2018 dollars.)

Well known for founding Walmart and Sam's Club.

                                           Books written by Sam Walton            Title        Description                Sam Walton: Made in America        Sam Walton's autobiography.                Higher Than the Top: Dave Thomas, Orville Redenbacher, Wally Amos, Gayle Miller, Bill Bowerman, and 18 Others        This is a book with excerpts individually written by 23 successful business leaders (of which Sam Walton was one). The book focuses primarily on how religion influenced their business careers.        Noteworthy books written about Sam Walton            Title        Author        Description                I have not found any noteworthy books about Sam Walton yet.
Would you like to suggest one?        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Sam Walton            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                        Benjamin Franklin        Interview video for the Walmart Visitors Center        Sam did not necessarily recommend this book, however he suggested that it helped him and his brother build their business in their early years.    

Jack Ma

Born 1964.

Estimated net worth: $34.5 billion (2018 — Forbes).

Well known for founding Alibaba.

                                           Books written by Jack Ma            Title        Description        Jack Ma hasn't written any books.    Noteworthy books written about Jack Ma            Title        Author        Description                Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built        Duncan Clark        Critically acclaimed, authorized book about Alibaba and Jack Ma.                Jack Ma The Authorized Biography by his Assistant        Chen Wei        authorized biography        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Jack Ma            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                Tao Te Ching        Lao Tzu        There is no specific case where he recommends the book, but it has been noted that he carries it with him wherever he goes.    

Phil Knight

Born 1938.

Estimated net worth: $31.7 billion (2018 — Forbes).

Well known for co-founding Nike.

                                           Books written by Phil Knight            Title        Description                Shoe Dog        A memoir that covers the difficulties of starting and building the Nike brand.        Noteworthy books written about Phil Knight            Title        Author        Description                I have not found any noteworthy books about Phil Knight yet.
Would you like to suggest one?        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Phil Knight            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                So far, I haven't found any books that Phil Knight recommends or is inspired by.
Would you like to suggest one?

Elon Musk

Born 1971.

Estimated net worth: $22.4 billion (2018 — Forbes).

Well known for being the co-founder of PayPal and Tesla, as well as the founder of SpaceX.

Elon generally recommends reading the autobiographies and biographies of the people that you admire.

                                           Books written by Elon Musk            Elon Musk hasn't written any books.        Noteworthy books written about Elon Musk            Title        Author        Description                Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future        Ashlee Vance        Authorized biography        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Elon Musk            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                The Lord of the Rings        J. R. R. Tolkien        MIT AeroAstro Centennial Symposium 2014        "Lord of the Rings is probably my favorite book."                Prelude to Foundation        Isaac Asimov        SXSW 2018, MIT AeroAstro Centennial Symposium 2014        Elon believes in preparing for the possibility of dark ages in the future [1][2], and that the premise of this series.
"I think the Foundation series from Asimov is one of the best ever [works of science-fiction literature]."                Forward the FoundationFoundationFoundation and EmpireSecond FoundationFoundation's EdgeFoundation and EarthBenjamin Franklin: An American Life        Walter Isaacson        Interview with Kevin Rose, Foundation        "I would say certainly he [Benjamin Franlkin] is one of the people I most admire."                Benjamin Franklin Ki Atmakatha        Benjamin Franklin                Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies        Nick Bostrom        2014 tweet on Twitter        "Worth reading Superintelligence by Bostrom. We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes."                Merchants of Doubt        Erik M. Conway and Naomi Oreskes        2013 tweet on Twitter        Elon's tweet suggests that he wants to encourage others to have an open mind and raise awareness for climate change.                The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress        Robert A. Heinlein        MIT AeroAstro Centennial Symposium 2014        "I think that's Heinlein's best book."                Rocket Propulsion Elements        George P. Sutton and Oscar Biblarz        Jim Cantrell (member of SpaceX founding team) on Quora        These are books that Elon Musk allegedly borrowed from (and never returned to) Jim Cantrell.                Fundamentals of Astrodynamics        Roger R. Bate, Donald D. Mueller, and Jerry E. White                                International Reference Guide to Space Launch Systems        S. Isakowitz, J. Hopkins, and J. Hopkins Jr.                                Elements of Propulsion: Gas Turbines and Rockets        J. Mattingly and H. von Ohain                    

Steve Jobs

Lived 1955–2011.

Estimated net worth: $10.2 billion (2011 — investopedia.com)

Well known for co-founding Apple Inc.

See also:

                                           Books written by Steve Jobs            Title        Description                Steve Jobs didn't write any books.        Noteworthy books written about Steve Jobs            Title        Author        Description                Steve Jobs        Walter Isaacson        Critically acclaimed, Amazon #1 best-selling biography.        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Steve Jobs            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                King Lear        William Shakespeare        Page 19 of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson        From Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson:
"'I [Steve Jobs] started to listen to music a whole lot, and I started to read outside of just science and technology—Shakespeare, Plato. I loved King Lear.' His other favorites included Moby-Dick and the poems of Dylan Thomas."                Moby-Dick        Herman Melville                                E.g. The Poems of Dylan Thomas        Dylan Thomas                                Be Here Now        Ram Dass        Page 34 of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson        From Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson:
"Jobs found himself deeply influenced by a variety of books on spirituality and enlightenment, most notably Be Here Now, a guide to meditation and the wonders of psychedelic drugs … 'It was profound,' Jobs said. 'It transformed me and many of my friends.'"                Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism        Chogyam Trungpa        Page 35 of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson        One of the books Steve Jobs shared with his friend Dan Kottke during their early years at college.                Diet for a Small Planet        Frances Moore Lappé        Page 36 of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson        From Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson:
"Another book that deeply influenced Jobs during his freshman year was Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé, which extolled the personal and planetary benefits of vegetarianism. 'That's when I swore off meat pretty much for good,' he recalled."                Mucusless Diet Healing System        Arnold Ehret        Page 36 of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson        From Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson:
"Job's dietary habits became even more obsessive when he read Mucusless Diet Healing System by Arnold Ehret … 'I got into it in my typical nutso way,' he said."                Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind        Shunryu Suzuki        Page 49 of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson        This book was written by an influencial Zen figure in Steve Jobs' life.                Autobiography of a Yogi        Paramahansa Yogananda        Page 527 of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson        From Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson:
"The guide to meditation and spirituality that he had first read as a teenager, then reread in India, and had read once a year ever since."                The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change)        Clayton M. Christensen        Page 532 of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson        Steve Jobs viewed this as an important thoery to take into account when designing new products.    

Richard Branson

Born 1950.

Estimated net worth: $5 billion (2018 — Forbes).

Well known co-founding Virgin Records and later Virgin Group, the latter of which now services industries ranging from banking to commercial spaceflight.

                                           Books written by Richard Branson            Title        Description                Losing My Virginity        This is the first of currently 2 parts of Richard Branson's autobiography. This part covers his life up until the year 1998.                Finding My Virginity        The second of currently 2 parts of Richard Branson's autobiography (i.e. the continuation of Losing My Virginity).                Screw It, Let's Do ItThe Virgin way : everything I know about leadershipScrew Business as UsualLike a Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You at Business School                Noteworthy books written about Richard Branson            Title        Author        Description                I have not found any noteworthy books written about Richard Branson yet.
Would you like to suggest one?        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Richard Branson            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                New Power        Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms        Virgin Blog        "It's a useful lens to use when thinking about how business has changed, how to spread ideas or start a movement, or create change."                WEconomy: You Can Find Meaning, Make A Living, and Change the World        Craig Kielburger, Holly Branson, and Marc Kielburger        Virgin Blog        "WEconomy shows what can be achieved if we put self-interest and fear behind us and strive for the change that embracing purpose can bring to all aspects of our lives."                Obama: The Historic Presidency of Barack Obama - 2,920 Days        Mark Greenberg        Richard Branson's 70 must-read booksHomo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow        Yuval Noah Harari                                Little Wins: The Huge Power of Thinking Like a Toddler        Paul Lindley                                Black Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth About Success        Matthew Syed                                Winners: And How They Succeed        Alastair Campbe                                Where the Wild Things Are        Maurice Sendak        Richard Branson's 70 must-read books
Richard Branson's top 65 books to read in a lifetimeTales of the Unexpected        Roald Dahl                                George's Marvellous Medicine        Roald Dahl                                Adventures of Huckleberry Finn        Mark Twain                                Oh, the Places You'll Go!        Dr. Seuss                                Peter and Wendy        James Matthew Barrie                                The Jungle Book        Rudyard Kipling                                The Adventures of Tom Sawyer        Mark Twain                                Swallows and Amazons        Arthur Ransome                                The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy        Douglas Adams                                Treasure Island        Robert Louis Stevenson                                The Annotated Hobbit        J. R. R. Tolkien                                Jurassic Park        Michael Crichton                                Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: And The Blockade Runners        Jules Verne                                1984        George Orwell                                Great Expectations        Charles Dickens                                The Quiet American        Graham Greene                                The Dice Man        George Cockcroft                                Shantaram        Gregory David Roberts                                One Hundred Years of Solitude        Gabriel García Márquez                                Mountains Beyond Mountains        Tracy Kidder                                The Outermost House        Henry Beston                                Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China        Jung Chang                                Stalingrad        Antony Beevor                                The Right Stuff        Tom Wolfe                                In the Heart of the Sea        Nathaniel Philbrick                                I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings        Maya Angelou                                Travels with Charley        John Steinbeck                                Long Walk to Freedom        Nelson Mandela                                Mao: The Unknown Story        Jon Halliday and Jung Chang                                A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety        Jimmy Carter                                No future without forgiveness        Desmond Tutu                                Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time        Dava Sobel                                Mandela's Way: Lessons on Life, Love, and Courage        Richard Stengel                                Limitless: Leadership that Endures        Ajaz Ahmed                                Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World        Adam Grant                                If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...: Encounters with Remarkable People and Their Most Valuable Advice        Richard Reed                                Remote: Office Not Required        David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried                                Start with Why        Simon Sinek                                One Hundred & One Reasons To Get Out of Bed: small world steps. big planet heroes        Natasha Milne                                Dear Stranger        Various                                Self Belief - The Vision: How to Be a Success on Your Own Terms        Jamal Edwards                                The Meaning of the 21st Century        James Martin                                Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill        Matthieu Ricard                                A Time for New Dreams        Ben Okri                                A Brief History of Time        Stephen Hawking                                The overview effect        Frank White                                Beyond The Blue: Ultimate Insider’s Guide To The XPRIZE Revolution        Jim Campbell                                Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think        Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler                                Cosmos        Carl Sagan                                The Weather Makers        Tim Flannery                                Big World, Small Planet: Abundance Within Planetary Boundaries        Johan Rockström and Mattias Klum                                An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It        Al Gore                                Necker: A Virgin Island        Russell James                                Lost Ocean, an Inky Adventure and Colouring Book        Johanna Basford                                Arctica: The Vanishing North        Sebastian Copeland                                In Patagonia        Bruce Chatwin                                Into Thin Air        Jon Krakauer                                The World Without Us        Alan Weisman                                In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules        Stacy Perman                                In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto        Michael Pollan                                Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal        Eric Schlosser                                Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption        Bryan Stevenson                                Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead        Sheryl Sandberg                                Ending the War on Drugs        Various                    

Mark Cuban

Born 1958.

Estimated net worth: $3.9 Billion (2018 — Forbes).

Well known for co-founding Broadcast.com, which was sold to Yahoo! in 1999 for 5.7 billion dollars, as well as being one of the "sharks" on ABC's Shark Tank.

                                           Books written by Mark Cuban            Title        Description                How to Win at the Sport of Business                Noteworthy books written about Mark Cuban            Title        Author        Description                I have not found any noteworthy books written about Mark Cuban yet.
Would you like to suggest one?        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Mark Cuban            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                Rework        Jason Fried        Editorial review for the book        "If given a choice between investing in someone who has read Rework or has an MBA, I'm investing in Rework every time.  This is a must read for every entrepreneur."                Self-Made Success        Shaan Patel        Editorial review for the book        "I see a young Tony Robbins!"                The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business        Clayton M. Christensen        Blast on Cyberdust (now Dust)        -                The Lean Startup        Eric Ries                -                The Only Game in Town: Central Banks, Instability, and Avoiding the Next Collapse        Mohamed A. El-Erian                -                The Fountainhead        Ayn Rand        2006 interview for C-SPAN Q&A        "I'll pick it up when I need motivation, but then if I read too far, I get too much motivation."    

Oprah Winfrey

Born 1954.

Estimated net worth: $2.7 Billion (2018 — Forbes).

Well known for her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as her influence in the media industry.

                                           Books written by Oprah Winfrey            Title        Description                Food, Health, and Happiness: 115 On-Point Recipes for Great Meals and a Better LifeThe Wisdom of Sundays: Life-Changing Insights from Super Soul ConversationsThe Wisdom Journal: The Companion to The Wisdom of Sundays by Oprah WinfreyThe Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction and PurposeMake the Connection: Ten Steps to a Better Body - and a Better Life        Co-authored with Bob Greene.                The Journal of Daily Renewal: The Companion to Make the Connection        Co-authored with Bob Greene.                Journey to Beloved        Co-authored with Ken Regan.        Noteworthy books written about Oprah Winfrey            Title        Author        Description                What I Know For Sure        -        A collection of entries from Oprah Winfrey's "What I Know For Sure" column in her magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine.        Books that influenced and/or are recommended by Oprah Winfrey            Title        Author        Where referenced        Reason significant                Becoming        Michelle Obama        Oprah's Book Club: The Complete ListThe Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row        Anthony Ray Hinton                                An American Marriage        Tayari Jones                                Behold the Dreamers        Imbolo Mbue                                Love Warrior        Glennon Doyle Melton                                The Underground Railroad        Colson Whitehead                                Ruby        Cynthia Bond                                The Invention of Wings        Sue Monk Kidd                                The Twelve Tribes of Hattie        Ayana Mathis                                Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail        Cheryl Strayed                                A Tale of Two Cities        Charles Dickens                                Great Expectations        Charles Dickens                                Freedom        Jonathan Franzen                                Say You’re One of Them        Uwem Akpan                                The Story of Edgar Sawtelle        David Wroblewski                                A New Earth        Eckhart Tolle                                The Pillars of the Earth        Ken Follett                                Love in the Time of Cholera        Gabriel García Márquez                                Middlesex        Jeffrey Eugenides                                The Road        Cormac McCarthy                                The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography        Sidney Poitier                                Night        Elie Wiesel                                A Million Little Pieces        James Frey                                Light in August        William Faulkner                                The Sound and the Fury        William Faulkner                                As I Lay Dying        William Faulkner                                The Good Earth        Pearl S. Buck                                Anna Karenina        Leo Tolstoy                                The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter        Carson McCullers                                One Hundred Years of Solitude        Gabriel García Márquez                                Cry, the Beloved Country        Alan Paton                                East of Eden        John Steinbeck                                Sula        Toni Morrison                                Fall on Your Knees        Ann-Marie MacDonald                                A Fine Balance        Rohinton Mistry                                The Corrections        Jonathan Franzen                                Cane River        Lalita Tademy                                Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail        Malika Oufkir and Michèle Fitoussi                                Icy Sparks        Gwyn Hyman Rubio                                We Were the Mulvaneys        Joyce Carol Oates                                House of Sand and Fog        Andre Dubus III                                Drowning Ruth        Christina Schwarz                                Open House        Elizabeth Berg                                The Poisonwood Bible        Barbara Kingsolver                                While I Was Gone: A Novel        Sue Miller                                The Bluest Eye        Toni Morrison                                Back Roads        Tawni O'Dell                                Daughter of Fortune        Isabel Allende                                Gap Creek        Robert Morgan                                A Map of the World        Jane Hamilton                                Vinegar Hill        A. Manette Ansay                                River, Cross My Heart        Breena Clarke                                Tara Road        Maeve Binchy                                Mother of Pearl        Melinda Haynes                                White Oleander        Janet Fitch                                The Pilot's Wife        Anita Shreve                                The Reader        Bernhard Schlink                                Jewel        Bret Lott                                Where the Heart Is        Billie Letts                                Midwives        Chris Bohjalian                                What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day        Pearl Cleage                                I Know This Much Is True        Wally Lamb                                Breath, Eyes, Memory        Edwidge Danticat                                Black and Blue        Anna Quindlen                                Here on Earth        Alice Hoffman                                Paradise        Toni Morrison                                The Best Way to Play        Bill Cosby                                The treasure hunt        Bill Cosby                                The Meanest Thing to Say        Bill Cosby                                A Virtuous Woman        Kaye Gibbons                                Ellen Foster        Kaye Gibbons                                A Lesson Before Dying        Ernest J. Gaines                                Songs in Ordinary Time        Mary McGarry Morris                                The Heart of a Woman        Maya Angelou                                The Rapture of Canaan        Sheri Reynolds                                Stones from the River        Ursula Hegi                                She's Come Undone        Wally Lamb                                The Book of Ruth        Jane Hamilton                                Song of Solomon        Toni Morrison                                The Deep End of the Ocean        Jacquelyn Mitchard                    

Contributors

                                                       Name            Contributions            Corrections                            So far, I'm the only contributor.            

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If you would like to contribute to this  list, please send me an email at: jacob@jacobmarciniec.com with the subject: "Billionaire book suggestion". Include all of the following information:

  • the name of the billionaire,
  • the title of the book,
  • the author of the book,
  • where they recommended it (if applicable), and
  • why they recommended it (if applicable).

All of the information that you submit will be verified, and inaccurate suggestions will not be added to the list. If you would like to be listed as a contributor, please include your name and a link to your preferred social media channel or website in the email as well.

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